Pregame: Illinois at Oregon, Saturday, October 26th, 2:30pm CT, CBS

Status
Not open for further replies.
#101      
Hopefully we learn from the Penn State game and the importance of seizing the moment. I feel like the coaches and players can use this as a great motivator all week long.
 
#102      
I'm in the same boat. Oregon will have to make multiple mistakes of epic proportions(pick 6, scoop and score, getting a punt blocked, etc) and the still may not be enough. They are incredibly fast and have a QB that complete balls that the clown from Michigan missed.

I think that we're going to come out focused and we'll play hard, but the talent gap is way, way, way too much.

Oregon. 42
Good guys. 14
 
#103      
Have we ever faced a bigger one game step-up in QB quality than Tuttle to Gabriel?
funny question. just for kicks I looked at 1984. We beat MSU with the mighty Dave Yarema 40-7. I can't find a box score, but Yarema averaged 100 yards passing a game and had 10 TDs against 12 INTs.

Next week we lost to Chuck Long and Iowa at Iowa 16-21.

That took but a moment to find. I'm sure there are a good many others.
 
#105      
For me, the 21.5pt spread feels about right in this one despite our record. Based on the advanced stats around this team, anything between a 17 to 24 point win for Oregon seems to be the most probable result. Gut feel is there might be a little bit of a betting push to put the spread down to 20.5 but again, I think the spread is pretty fair.

As for the why, while I do think our team is constructed in a manner that can cause certain teams problems, especially those that rely on lower possession games and whose strengths are more geared towards testing the secondary and using slower power backs and having a traditional pocket passer. I see our Achilles heel as teams that can stress our LBs, have speed, and can stretch the field. As such, I just see Oregon as a nightmare matchup for us. Our team is on the slower side on defense in the B10 and has shown issues with both gaps and containment when forced to account for multiple attack options and a mobile quarterback. Soooo it's going to be tough.

I do think we have a very accurate QB with 2 WRs that will be playing Sundays, and I think our OC will have a bounceback game after calling a bizarre one against Michigan (gut feel is once we had the lead, he was told that whatever he calls he better make sure we don't turn the ball over) so I think we can possibly surprise you a bit and put up some points on that side of the ball, but really, I think the only real chance we have in this game is if this is the game your team just comes out sluggish for. I don't think it's likely to happen with a ranked team coming in, but I have seen Oregon have an off game in seasons past. Where they just seem to struggle firing off the snap. If that happens, we'll have our shot but otherwise:

Oregon 45
Illinois 20

Hope I'm wrong as I have been most of this truly magical season
Plus, it would be nice if my Ducks got a couple of guys back from injuries. Burch DE, Bedford on the Oline, Ferguson TE all would be a great help. As far as I know they are all maybe's.
 
#107      
I live and work in Eugene. The majority of my clients are Ducks fans and know that I am a massive Illinois fan. At the beginning of the season, I had clients promise me they’d sell me their Ducks tickets to the Illinois game. Now that we are ranked and a potential threat, they’ve rescinded their promise and are going to the game; leaving me pissed and ticketless*! Needless to say, I hope we stun Eugene and the Ducks this upcoming weekend.

*Don’t worry. I bought basketball tickets.

Feel free to reach out if you need suggestions for restaurants and other things to do in the area.

Dirty mother duckers.
 
#108      
Paying Oregon is going to be like Purdue in the 2nd half times 100.

I said this during the Michigan game but the best thing in hindsight that could have happen to this D was that second half against Purdue. Why? It show’d what happens if this team isn’t lasers focused. Also, Oregon runs a lot of what Purdue was doing in the second half.

If Purdue dropped 40 on us in the second half, you’re saying that Oregon will drop 400 against us 🤯
 
#113      
Plus, it would be nice if my Ducks got a couple of guys back from injuries. Burch DE, Bedford on the Oline, Ferguson TE all would be a great help. As far as I know they are all maybe's.
Mmm hmmm, hedging already. Oregon is scared! :p
 
#115      
Mmm hmmm, hedging already. Oregon is scared! :p
Not sure I'd call it scared, we didn't have Burch or Bedford against Purdue or Ohio St. As far as TE goes, Herbert (Justin's little brother) and Sadiq are both quite good and many people believe Sadiq is the best athlete on the roster. Also, Ferguson wasn't actually injured he had his appendectomy 4 or 5 days before the Purdue game.
 
#117      
For CFP chances:

If you lose this game and win out the rest of the way home, I’d say 10-2 has a decent shot of getting you in but not a great shot. I’d look at our resume and say “you played two CFP teams all season and you didn’t really look competitive despite what the score might say. No thanks.”

Now, if you beat #1 Oregon on the road narrative flips. “Illinois was in it til the fourth quarter with Penn State (who I’d bet dollars to donuts ends up at #1 the following week if we did win) and took down 4 ranked teams. This is a dark horse.” You might buy yourself the ability to drop a close one to Rutgers on the road or maybe (maaaaybe) MSU if they keep looking good, and still sneak in as the last couple teams in.

I don’t think anyone in their right mind disagrees though, you don’t get to drop more than one game here on out. If it’s Oregon, it’d better be close. If it’s anyone else, there’s gotta be a good reason.

11-1 season here we come! Build the statues.
 
#118      
Not sure I'd call it scared, we didn't have Burch or Bedford against Purdue or Ohio St. As far as TE goes, Herbert (Justin's little brother) and Sadiq are both quite good and many people believe Sadiq is the best athlete on the roster. Also, Ferguson wasn't actually injured he had his appendectomy 4 or 5 days before the Purdue game.

I think Oregon should play it safe and have all those guys sit out this week.
 
#121      
Although this Oregon team is loaded with five star talent, IMHO we have talent and coaching in the right spots...If we get this win,we get the donors,we gets ouple more sellouts and hopefully a big display game in Wrigley with our Red Grange specials on...One and 0 really starts this Saturday..
 
#123      
We aren't as good as Oregon. If they play poorly we have a chance to pull off an upset. We aren't as good as Ohio State either. Or several other teams. We will likely lose this game. Know what? I don't care. 6-1. We are playing with house money now. Win a couple more and we will go to a nice bowl game. From a program that was almost always one of the 2 or 3 worst teams in a 14 team B1G to being one of the 5 or 6 best teams in a 18 team B1G is everything I've ever asked for from IL FB. I'll take everything we can get from here.
 
#125      
Have we ever faced a bigger one game step-up in QB quality than Tuttle to Gabriel?
In 1999 we opposed something named Billy Cockerham of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in week 7, who trounced us at the Metrodome 37-7.

The following week, 25 years ago this coming Wednesday, the Illini went into Ann Arbor and defeated senior year Tom Brady, 35-29.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back